DOs and DON’Ts of Big Hair

DON’T supersize your hairstyle.

We love volume as much as the next girl, but wispy wings and gallons of hairspray are like oil and water: They just don’t mix. And if your Barbie-doll ‘do makes it hard to see your pretty face, it’s a definite DON’T.

Photo: Time Life Pictures

DO pump up the volume.

Whether you’re wearing it down or styling it into a fancy ponytail, add a little oomph to your hair by spraying a volumizer like Tigi Catwalk Root Booster onto wet hair before drying. It gives you an “I’m ready to party” lift at the roots that’ll last all night.

Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

DON’T go too wild.

Maybe it’s because she’s wearing a leopard-print bodysuit—or because she’s in a pounce position onstage—but Mel B’s long hair looks more like a tangled lion’s mane than a mound of cute curls.

DON’T wear oversize short curls.

Unless you’re into the helmet-head look, that is. A halo of shellacked waves will make your face look wider and about 10 to 20 years older.

Photo: Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images

DO try face-framing curls.

Few people can work a big head full of curls like Thandie Newton. Thanks to layers that gently taper in starting just below her ears, Thandie’s ‘do flatters her face while the strict center part balances the carefree vibe of her untamed curls. To keep yours in perfect form, try a shine and smoothing serum like Jonathan Product Create Curl Curling Serum ($26, beauty.com).

Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

DON’T revisit the ’80s poufy bangs look.

With all the ’80s trends returning—from neon lipstick and big-shoulder jackets to slinky Dynasty dresses—it might be tempting to experiment with on The Facts of Life-style poufy bangs, but this is one ‘do that should be left in the past.

Photo: Michael Buckner/Wireimage

DO believe in the big bangs theory.

When it comes to bangs, bigger can be better if you keep everything else low-key and make sure your fringe is super shiny. To get sleek bangs like Jessica Alba’s, flat-iron them, then spray on a glossy finishing product like Aveda Brilliant Spray-On Shine. Aveda hair pro Antoinette Beenders swears by it and suggests spritzing it on a thick-bristled makeup brush (not a hairbrush) and gently stroking it over the surface of bangs for a light sheen that won’t weigh down hair.

Photo: Jesse Grant/ Getty Images

DON’T experiment with the Edwardian updo.

While Anne of Green Gables lives on as classic, the old-fashioned schoolmarm poufs became a DON’T at the turn of the (last) century.

Photo: Lorenzo Santini/ Film Magic

DO learn to love the half-up, half-down hairstyle.

For an easy ‘do that’ll slim your face and dress up your look instantly, add a little lift at the crown and leave the rest of your hair down. To get Angelina Jolie’s versatile half-up, half-down hairstyle, start at the crown and pull a section of your hair forward. Back-comb the underneath section, then pull the front section over the teased top. Secure with a dressy barrette and spritz with a little hairspray to keep in place.

Photo: Getty Images

DON’T overstyle your hair.

Too much teasing and scrunching without the right products can lead to frizzy, fuzzy-looking hair.

Photo: Jean-Paul Aussenard/ Wireimage

DO create some bodacious waves.

To get va-va-voom hair like Kim Kardashian’s, follow the step-by-step process Kérastase guru Luigi Murenu uses to give runway models sexy megawaves. First, part hair on the side. Then prep hair with mousse to add volume at the roots. Blow-dry. Next, use a wide-barrel curling iron to curl the ends, keeping the crown of the hair straight for a sleek, sexy look. Spritz Kérastase Nacre Nutri-Sculpt, a shine protectant, to eliminate pesky flyaways and finish with a light hairspray.